Sat, Nov 22 2008
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Published August 20, 2008 12:07 am - Mark Hammons is in no rush for a promotion HHS assistant likes his role By Kenton Brooks Phoenix Sports Writer Every assistant high school football coach wants to be a head coach some day, but Mark Hammons isn’t in such a hurry.
As the newest member of the Hilldale High School staff, he’s quite happy learning all he can about being an assistant. The 35-year-old Sperry native will coach running backs and defensive ends for coach Don Hendrix this season. “I’m excited and I want to learn all aspects of the game,” Hammons said. “I have very little ambition toward being a head coach. I enjoy being an assistant.” Hammons comes to Hilldale with a background that includes four years at Henryetta and more than seven years in law enforcement out of the district attorney’s office in Tahlequah. He replaces Gary Hollingshead after Hollingshead took a coaching job in Vinita. Hammons is into a career that took a slight turn before getting into it full time. “I never thought I would end up in law enforcement,” he said. “It’s addictive, like coaching. I enjoyed the people I worked with. They were a second family to me.” After leaving law enforcement, Hammons became an assistant coach at Henryetta in 2004. He coached there until last season, helping the Knights to back-to-back Class 2A state quarterfinal appearances the last two years. But rising gas prices made him look for a job closer to his home in Wainwright. “Any time you bring a coach off another staff that’s been successful, you get new ideas,” Hendrix said. “If the ideas worked for them, they may work for you. Mark’s not afraid to say, ‘Here’s something we did.’ That’s a positive thing.” Taylor Brantley, a 5-foot-8, 210-pound junior defensive end, has to sit out in practice until he gets a doctor’s clearance after having shoulder surgery in the off-season. Brantley looks forward to being coached by Hammons once he gets to suit up. “Coach Hammons is one for getting to the point,” Brantley said. “I like his style. It seems like he knows a lot about football and I’m sure he can teach us more than we knew.” Hammons is learning every day. Lately, he’s been trying to master the complex video computer program that breaks down the tendencies of the opposing team. “We didn’t have the luxury of this kind of technology at Henryetta,” he said. “I was up here three to four hours on Saturday and in classroom for four to five hours on Sunday. It’s going to be a seven days a week a job until I get everything down.” With Hammons joining the staff, the other Hilldale varsity football coaches include Ed Cruzan, Larry Childers and Mark Smallwood. 
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